穷鼠啮狸

Traditional form:

窮鼠嚙狸

Pinyin (reading):

qióngshǔnièlí

Definitions:

• a desperate rat will bite the fox (idiom); the smallest worm will turn being trodden on

Characters:

• 穷 - poor, destitute; to exhaust
• 鼠 - rat, mouse
• 啮 - to bite, to gnaw
• 狸 - fox

Traditional characters:

• 窮 - poor, destitute; to exhaust
• 鼠 - rat, mouse
• 嚙 - to bite, to gnaw
• 狸 - fox